‘Fresh Check Day’ Destigmatizes Use of Mental Health Services
By ELENA TRAFICANTE
“To see all the different ways that our students wanted to help prevent suicide … it was beautiful to me,” said Jessica Maga, Director of Counseling at Seton Hill University.
“I feel strongly that mental health on college campuses is not just the counseling center’s problem alone, everyone needs to be involved to make an impact,” Maga said.
After her experience with the national organization, “Fresh Check Day,” at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Maga made it her mission to bring the mental health awareness event to Seton Hill.
Although CMU’s student body is larger than Seton Hill’s, Maga had no doubt that an event at our smaller campus would still make an impact. “I thought that it would be a great opportunity to highlight what our campus is already working on,” said Maga.
According to the organization’s website, “Fresh Check Day” is an “engaging and uplifting mental health promotion event for colleges” that prioritizes peer-centered interactive booths.
“I chose to get involved in this event because the national program’s engaging and uplifting mental health promotion aligned extremely well with our club’s mission,” said Amara Forsyth, president of the Seton Hill Athlete Mental Health and Mindfulness Club.
“Not only does the club receive some valuable exposure, but more importantly supporting and equipping students with the tools and resources they need to thrive in their environment,” Forsyth said.
2024 was Seton Hill’s first year of participation in the event. “The biggest thing was overall the vibe,” said Maga. “Even though mental health can be a heavy topic, people engaged with it in a positive way.”
According to a poll taken at last year’s event conducted by the Seton Hill Counseling Department, 85% of students who interacted with the activities felt more aware of the warning signs to suicide, with 90% reported being more aware of the resources available to them.
Because the outcome last year held such positive ratings, more than 20 booths were willing to participate again in this year’s event.
“It’s funny because Fresh Check says you can do 6-8 booths,” said Maga. “When I told them we had over 20 they were shocked,” she continued. “I don’t even think that larger campuses put it on that big.”
“Fresh Check Day’s” main goal is to conduct peer-based activities. “It’s all about creating a fun and supportive space to learn about mental health and connect with peers,” said Forsyth.
Amongst the various tables, Seton Hill Athlete Mental Health and Mindfulness Club chose to focus on gratitude and appreciation.
“People wrote down one strength they recognized in themselves and placed it on the ‘My Strengths’ board and on a separate sticky note, they wrote something they were grateful for and placed it on the ‘I’m Grateful For…’ board,” Forsyth said.
“This was an easy and quick way for people to participate,” Forsyth said. “It was heartwarming to see students reflect on the positive aspects of their lives.”
“Fresh Check Day” 2025 on Seton Hill’s campus was considered successful with hundreds of students in attendance. The students and faculty participated in a wide range of mental health activities, some even gave advice to their peers about how to handle difficult situations.
“Prioritize doing what you love,” said Tim Katic, senior Seton Hill student and participant.
Other faculty continued to give advice as well. “Just say it. Ask for help, talk to somebody,” said Rachael Graham, counselor at Seton Hill.
As the day wrapped up and students slowly trickled from the event held on Sullivan Lawn, Maga was hopeful that “Fresh Check Day” was successful yet another year at Seton Hill.
“The main goal is to draw in students who may not be having these types of discussions,” said Maga. “There may be things that students learned from this event that they can implement in the future.”
For more information regarding “Fresh Check” and its efforts, visit https://freshcheckday.com/